delusion. She did find that piece of information during her Internet search the night before. A rare disorder referred to as Lycanthropy. A condition that caused its victims to believe they could shift their shape into other creatures. In this case, werewolves. She almost felt sorry for them. The reporter in her was eager for the story, damn the consequences. The human side pitied them.
The car slowed and Rayna glanced out the window. A town sprang up from nowhere amongst the trees and she turned her head to Mitch when he slowed the car and pulled up next to the curb. He was grinning from ear-to-ear.
"I told you we weren't lost."
The urge to stick her tongue out at him was great, but she refrained. She did roll her eyes before sitting up straight in her seat and peering out the window at the town. It looked to be exactly one street and they were on it. The sidewalk stopped a block down and turning to look behind her, she was met with the same sight. "Are you sure this is it, Mitch?"
"Yes, I'm sure," he said."
"Well, where's the hotel then?"
"That, I'm not sure of."
He turned the car off and opened his door, stepping into the deserted street. "Hello! Is anyone here?"
Rayna watched him walk a few feet from the car and yell again before she looked at what was supposed to be a town. There were exactly eight buildings on the right side of the road and seven on the left. A single stoplight hung from a line crossing the street. She'd thought Bluff's Point was small but this made the seaside community she'd called home all her life look like a bustling metropolis.
She opened her door and stepped out of the car. A glance at Mitch told her he was as puzzled as she was. They were in the heart of what looked like a ghost town. The place was deserted. There were no people milling around. The stores were all closed. Not a sound to be heard other than the wind and the noise the stoplight made as it swung across the street. It was almost spooky and the eerie feeling she was getting didn't bode well for the trip. "Are you sure this is it?" she asked.
"Yes, for the second time."
His curt reply left no room for argument and she sighed before walking around the car and stopping. She looked down the street in both directions before crossing her arms under her breast and leaning back against the car. "Okay, so what now?"
"I have no clue." He stepped up onto the sidewalk and peered into one of the shop windows, cupping his hands on the glass to block the suns glare. "It looks like a clothing store," he said. "But there's no one inside."
"Well, it is Sunday," Rayna said. "Maybe they're just closed."
A noise from behind them caused Rayna to jump before she swiveled her body to look. A man stood in the middle of the road staring at them. She gasped at his sudden appearance and unconsciously took a few steps backwards. "Where the hell did he come from," she whispered.
"Ms. Ford?"
Rayna stared at the man when he said her name and nodded her head when Mitch stepped closer to her. Her heart thudded in her chest and she took several deep breaths to try and control her breathing. "I'm Rayna Ford."
The man was tall and thin. His graying hair was cut short to his head and he wore a suit jacket with jeans and cowboy boots. He smiled and started toward them. "I'm Stan Buchanan. Welcome to Wolf's Creek."
"Uh, thanks," she said.
"We were expecting you earlier. Did you have trouble finding us?"
She smiled and glanced at Mitch. "A little," she said.
"Well I'm sure Malcolm will be happy to see you've arrived."
She nodded her head at him and took a quick glance around town. "It's kind of quiet around here, isn't it?"
He laughed, the sound soft and warming. "We're pretty laid back here most of the time," he said. He walked toward them and stopped just behind the car. "And it's Sunday. None of the stores are open. If you need something I can make arrangements for you."
"We're fine," she said. "We have everything we need." Movement out of the
The car slowed and Rayna glanced out the window. A town sprang up from nowhere amongst the trees and she turned her head to Mitch when he slowed the car and pulled up next to the curb. He was grinning from ear-to-ear.
"I told you we weren't lost."
The urge to stick her tongue out at him was great, but she refrained. She did roll her eyes before sitting up straight in her seat and peering out the window at the town. It looked to be exactly one street and they were on it. The sidewalk stopped a block down and turning to look behind her, she was met with the same sight. "Are you sure this is it, Mitch?"
"Yes, I'm sure," he said."
"Well, where's the hotel then?"
"That, I'm not sure of."
He turned the car off and opened his door, stepping into the deserted street. "Hello! Is anyone here?"
Rayna watched him walk a few feet from the car and yell again before she looked at what was supposed to be a town. There were exactly eight buildings on the right side of the road and seven on the left. A single stoplight hung from a line crossing the street. She'd thought Bluff's Point was small but this made the seaside community she'd called home all her life look like a bustling metropolis.
She opened her door and stepped out of the car. A glance at Mitch told her he was as puzzled as she was. They were in the heart of what looked like a ghost town. The place was deserted. There were no people milling around. The stores were all closed. Not a sound to be heard other than the wind and the noise the stoplight made as it swung across the street. It was almost spooky and the eerie feeling she was getting didn't bode well for the trip. "Are you sure this is it?" she asked.
"Yes, for the second time."
His curt reply left no room for argument and she sighed before walking around the car and stopping. She looked down the street in both directions before crossing her arms under her breast and leaning back against the car. "Okay, so what now?"
"I have no clue." He stepped up onto the sidewalk and peered into one of the shop windows, cupping his hands on the glass to block the suns glare. "It looks like a clothing store," he said. "But there's no one inside."
"Well, it is Sunday," Rayna said. "Maybe they're just closed."
A noise from behind them caused Rayna to jump before she swiveled her body to look. A man stood in the middle of the road staring at them. She gasped at his sudden appearance and unconsciously took a few steps backwards. "Where the hell did he come from," she whispered.
"Ms. Ford?"
Rayna stared at the man when he said her name and nodded her head when Mitch stepped closer to her. Her heart thudded in her chest and she took several deep breaths to try and control her breathing. "I'm Rayna Ford."
The man was tall and thin. His graying hair was cut short to his head and he wore a suit jacket with jeans and cowboy boots. He smiled and started toward them. "I'm Stan Buchanan. Welcome to Wolf's Creek."
"Uh, thanks," she said.
"We were expecting you earlier. Did you have trouble finding us?"
She smiled and glanced at Mitch. "A little," she said.
"Well I'm sure Malcolm will be happy to see you've arrived."
She nodded her head at him and took a quick glance around town. "It's kind of quiet around here, isn't it?"
He laughed, the sound soft and warming. "We're pretty laid back here most of the time," he said. He walked toward them and stopped just behind the car. "And it's Sunday. None of the stores are open. If you need something I can make arrangements for you."
"We're fine," she said. "We have everything we need." Movement out of the
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